An employee at Aloha Japanese Bento Express closes and locks the doors at 2 p.m. today. There were rumors that businesses were closing in anticipation of a Black Live Matter march in the city.
(Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Several downtown Syracuse businesses and the James M. Hanley Federal Building are trying to close early this afternoon due to the Black Lives Matter protest planned for 4 p.m.

Several businesses on South Salina Street plan to close early or have already closed.

A child care center located at the federal building alerted parents that they should try to pick up children early.

"Homeland Security has advised us to try and clear out the building as best as possible by 3:30 before the protest begins," the director of Children's Beginnings said in an email to families with children in the center.

Employees in the federal building have been told they should try to leave by 3:30 p.m., but officially the building will remain open until it's normal 5 p.m. closing, according to several employees and managers. One official, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak, said the early release of employees was more out of concern for traffic than a riot or any violence.

National Grid, which has an office within two blocks of Clinton Square, is not closing early, said Virginia Limmiatis, a spokesperson for the utility.

The march by Black Lives Matter Syracuse will begin at the Jerry Rescue monument in Clinton Square. The group plans to stop at the federal building and the Syracuse Police Department. The group has not planned a specific route, an organizer said.

The demonstration is in response to "ongoing murders of black people" around the country, the organizers said, adding members planned to march in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement around the world. Members will also be protesting "police brutality against black residents here in Syracuse, and will present their demands at the march."

A sign on the door at Clarks Ale House states that they are closing at 2 p.m. for maintenance. A sign on the door at Clark's Ale House states that they are closing at 2 p.m. for maintenance. The owners of several buildings in the downtown area got together and decided to urge their tenants to close, said Carmen Mannino, manager at Clark's.Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

The owners of several buildings in the downtown area got together and decided to urge their tenants to close, said Carmen Mannino, manager at Clark's, at the corner of South Salina and east Washington streets. The building is owned by JF Realty. "I guess everybody agreed it would be best to close," Mannino said.

He said Clark's owner, Doug Clark, called some friends in the police department Monday to see what he should do. "They told him it would probably be a good idea to close," Mannino said

Liehs & Steigerwald, which has ground floor space in the McCarthy Building at the corner of South Salina and East Fayette streets, decided to close up because the rally and the traffic were likely to mean a very slow night, said owner Jeff Steigerwald. "It just seemed like a night when we weren't going to have a lot of business," he said.

The M&T parking garage also was closing early today. Owners sent out a notice that vehicles need to be removed from the garage by 4 p.m.

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner there is no public safety concern.

"We fully anticipate this to be a peaceful protest," she said.

The mayor said she had been in touch with the organizers to have permits for the protest.

"We are making sure it's a peaceful, safe protest," Miner said.

She also said police presence is measured by the number of protesters and the routes. She said she thought the protesters would be marching on the sidewalks.

A rally and march in downtown Syracuse Monday morning drew about 300 people. It was peaceful, with no reports of arrests or vandalism. The mayor and Syracuse police chief Frank Fowler spoke to the demonstrators outside city hall.